£1,000 - £2,000
William Morison Wyllie (c.1830-c.1890) The Letter Writer, signed lower right, oil on canvas, 110 x 82 cm The woman stands in the doorway with the proprietor of a shop called 'The Tomb of Secrets', where patrons can instruct the services of the public writer. The advertisment on the side of the shop lists various services including postal service, death notices, ladies secretarial office, letters of marriage, petitions, requests, deeds, sales and leases. Provenance: Collection of architect Horace W Parnacott (1884-1956), thence by descent. The painting hung in the family home in Beckenham, Kent between 1930-2008, photographs place the painting in the dining room (see additional images to catalogue). Parnacott was co-architect of the Empire Memorial Sailors Hostel, London. Label to stretcher verso for Robert R Dunn, Regents Park Notes: A painting showing the same female figure in matching costume appears in another oil painting by the artist titled 'The Answer' and appears to show the lady inside a shop listening to a letter being read out to her, it was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1853 and sold at Philips 20/06/2995 lot 62.
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